02-10886. Copayments for Inpatient Hospital Care and Outpatient Medical Care

AGENCY:

Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This document affirms amendments to VA's medical regulations to set forth a mechanism for determining copayments for inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical care. These amendments were made by an interim final rule and were necessary to implement provisions of the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act and to set forth exemptions from copayment requirements as mandated by statute.

DATES:

Effective Date: May 2, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy L. Howard at [phone], Revenue Office (174), Office of Finance, Veterans Health Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420. (The telephone number is not a toll-free number.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

An interim final rule amending VA's medical regulations to set forth a mechanism for determining copayments for inpatient hospital care and outpatient medical care provided to veterans by VA was published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2001 (66 FR 63446).

We provided a 60-day comment period that ended February 4, 2002. No comments have been received. Based on the rationale set forth in the interim final rule we now affirm as a final rule the changes made by the interim final rule.

Administrative Procedure Act

This document without any changes affirms amendments made by an interim final rule that is already in effect. Accordingly, we have concluded under 5 U.S.C. 553 that there is good cause for dispensing with a delayed effective date based on the conclusion that such procedure is impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest.

Unfunded Mandates

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act requires, at 2 U.S.C. 1532, that agencies prepare an assessment of anticipated costs and benefits before developing any rule that may result in an expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 million or more in any given year. This final rule would have no consequential effect on State, local, or tribal governments.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This document contains no provisions constituting a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520).

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Secretary hereby certifies that this final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612. This final rule would not directly affect any small entities. Only individuals could be directly affected. Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this final rule is exempt from the initial and final regulatory flexibility analysis requirements of sections 603 and 604.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers for the programs affected by this document are 64.005, 64.007, 64.008, 64.009, 64.010, 64.011, 64.012, 64.013, 64.014, 64.015, 64.016, 64.018, 64.019, 64.022, and 64.025. 1

List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 17

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Alcohol abuse
• Alcoholism
• Claims
• Day care
• Dental health
• Drug abuse
• Foreign relations
• Government contracts
• Grant programs-health
• Grant programs-veterans
• Health care
• Health facilities
• Health professions
• Health records
• Homeless
• Medical and dental schools
• Medical devices
• Medical research
• Mental health programs
• Nursing homes
• Philippines
• Reporting and record-keeping requirements
• Scholarships and fellowships
• Travel and transportation expenses
• Veterans

Approved: April 15, 2002.

Anthony J. Principi,

Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

PART 17—MEDICAL

Accordingly, the interim final rule amending 38 CFR part 17 which was published at 66 FR 63446 on December 6, 2001, is adopted as a final rule without change.